Pistols and Petitions: Queen Anne’s Slave Pistols and Petitions: Queen Anne’s Slave Self-Emancipation in the 19Self-Emancipation in the 19thth Century Century

By: Alex Champion and Tanner Sparks

Maryland State Archives

Legacy of Slavery in Maryland Department

Legacy of Slavery in MarylandLegacy of Slavery in Maryland

• Three year US Department of Education Office of Postsecondary Three year US Department of Education Office of Postsecondary Education Underground Railroad Educational and Cultural ProgramEducation Underground Railroad Educational and Cultural Programgrant that began in 2010.grant that began in 2010.

• The goal of the grant is to study, promote, and document the The goal of the grant is to study, promote, and document the experiences that have shaped Maryland’s African American experiences that have shaped Maryland’s African American population relating to five Eastern Shore counties in Maryland:population relating to five Eastern Shore counties in Maryland:

– – Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, and TalbotCaroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, and Talbot

Goals of PresentationGoals of Presentation

• Freedom Petitions: Queen Anne’s slaves freed themselves from bondage within Maryland’s legal framework.

• U.S. Colored Troops: Slavery transformed in Queen Anne’s County when slaves were presented the opportunity to enlist in the Union army.

Queen Anne’s CountyQueen Anne’s County

• Q.A. County Census1790 – 15,463 total (6,674 Slaves)

828 Slaveholding families (18 slaves on average per family)

1820 – 14,952 total (5,588 Slaves, 2,138 Free)

1850 – 14,484 total (4,270 Slaves, 3,278 Free)

1860 – 15,961 total (4,174 Slaves, 3,372 Free) 573 Slaveholders (28 slaves on average per family)

- Census data was accessed from the University of Virginia Historical Census Browser.

Litigiousness is a Virtue

Maryland Slave Freedom Petitions of the 19th Century

17th Century Slave Laws• 1663/1664 – Legalization/institutionalization of slavery – Free white

women who marry black slave also become slaves for the duration of his servitude (and their children until age 31)

• 1681 – Children born to free black women or mulattoes of white women are free; Owners or priests who facilitate interracial unions would be fined 10,000 pounds of tobacco and the white woman is freed from service

• 1692 – Imported slaves and their children are “slaves for life”; White men/women required to serve 7 years of indenture for marrying or having children with black slaves

18th Century Slave Laws• 1715 - Slaves forbidden to leave ten miles from home without a note

1717 – “Whereas it may be of very dangerous Consequence to admit and allow as Evidences in Law…”

18th Century Slave Laws

• 1783 - Slaves of non-permanent residents will be manumitted (amended periodically to treat VA., PA, DE, and D.C. differently)

• 1790 – Elderly or infirmed slaves cannot be freed unless sustained• 1801 – Slaves may give testimony against other blacks

Robert Williams

Maryland Laws…

• …discouraged black immigration

• …incentivized race and class separation

• …limited freedoms of all blacks

• …legitimized freedom’s matrilineal descent

• …relied heavily on testimony

Henny Hemsley

• Queen Anne’s County Court, May 1815 by her attorney William Carmichael

• “entitled to their Freedom being descended on the Female line from a free woman named Susan”

• George Walls of Kentucky argued otherwise

Hemsley Family tree

Susan Hemsley[Captain

James Sweat?]

Henny Hemsley

Susan Hemsley Juliana Hemsley Priscilla Hemsley

Kidnapping of Susan Hemsley

• Deponent Greenberry Griffin claimed Captain James Sweat kidnapped Susan Hemsley in 1783

Community Reputation

• John Denny’s testimony excepted

Verdict

• Jury determines Henny and her children "on the day of pr[o]ffering their petition in this cause were free and of free condition.“

• Walls’ attorney files two exceptions

• Court of Appeals for the Eastern Shore reverses one, retrial is called June, 1817

Certificates of Freedom

• 1805 - “great mischiefs have arisen from slaves coming into possession of the certificates of free negroes, by running away and passing as free, under the faith of such certificates… ”

• Only record of their re-trial appears to be their 1836 certificates

Indian Moll, Philemon Lloyd Chew’s servant

• 18 slaves, four freedom petitions

• 1794 – Carver v. Chew

• 1799 – Creek v. Wilkins

• 1800 – Baker and others v. Paca

• 1803 – Moody v. Jones

**<Rachel Baker>**

James Isaac Esther

Betty John Tom Phoebe

Benjamin

Caty

**<Robert Moody>**

**<Margaret Creek>**

**<Tom Carver>**

Henny Baker

Ibby Charles Nancy Henny

Sarah

Negro Tom Carver v. Samuel Lloyd Chew

• General Court of the Western Shore, 1794: Attorney Gabrial Duvall

• Chew owned 41 slaves in 1790• Testimony from dozens of QA, AA persons• Daniel Dulaney, Philemon Lloyd Chew, Samuel

Chew, Mary Hepburn (Chew), many interrogated by William Paca

• Used by 1st-cousin-once-removed Robert Moody to establish “pedigree”

Testimony• Richard Grason, 63: Lived and worked in area• Ann Maria Chew, 55: Knew a Margaret with Dulaneys in

Annapolis, dismissed for misconduct• Richard Tilghman, Jr.• John Blake, 60: “cook wench” named Moll, no idea about

“Chew Island” or children left there, mother referenced excellent food and entertainments, family’s own slave called “Indian Will”

• Ann Mason: Midwife, familiar with people on Wye but no work there, recently offered payment by mulattos for information

• Elizabeth McClemmon: Servant, asked about Mrs. Dulaney’s slave clothes register

Testimony• Edward Coursey, 39• Mrs. Wederstauds, 52: Heard of an Indian woman

named Moll on Wye• Daniel Dulaney: Describes inheritance scenario• John Bracco, 74 (Talbot): No knowledge on Chew or

Dulaney’s Island of slaves belonging to Paca and Bordley

• John Plummer, 69: Overseer, knew an “Indian Jonney,” • John Roberts: Carpenter/skipper Juinny/Jenny and his

wife Rachel• Lewis Scrivener, 50: Overseer, knew Margaret and son

Tom Sampson, changed to “Carvery or some such name,” also a Black Lucy, Indian Lucy, wife of free Will Creek

Testimony• William Paca: Late brother in law

Philemon Lloyd’s records make no mention of a slave entitled to freedom

• John Thomas, son of Ann and nephew of Mary Hepburn

• Elizabeth Chew: Margaret was pregnant when Sam. Chew inherited her following Mr. Dulaney’s death

**<Rachel Baker>**

James Isaac Esther

Betty John Tom Phoebe

Benjamin

Caty

**<Robert Moody>**

**<Margaret Creek>**

**<Tom Carver>**

Negro Margaret Creek v. William Wilkins

• Baltimore County, 1797

• Dramaturgical rejection by Wilkins

• Jury,1799: “free woman of free condition”

• Awarded 1,783 pounds

• Wilkins filed exceptions

**<Rachel Baker>**

James Isaac Esther

Betty John Tom Phoebe

Benjamin

Caty

**<Robert Moody>**

**<Margaret Creek>**

**<Tom Carver>**

Henny Baker

Ibby Charles Nancy Henny

Sarah

Rachel Baker and others v. John Paca

• Queen Anne’s County, 1802Queen Anne’s County, 1802

• John: 118 slaves in 1800John: 118 slaves in 1800

• 15 slaves filed suit, led by Rachel Baker15 slaves filed suit, led by Rachel Baker

• Jury, 1802 freedom awarded and given Jury, 1802 freedom awarded and given $32.48 1/3$32.48 1/3

Robert Moody v. Richard I. Jones

• Court of Appeals for the Eastern Shore Judgments record June 1812, originates QA May 1812

• Jones: 62 slaves, ferry from Broad Creek KI to Annapolis

• Filed after Baker, same lawyer William Carmichael, more evidence

• Won freedom and $105.63 1/3

• Four exceptions: Likely the three petitions, Moody’s pedigree

Cesar Boose

Goals of Presentation

Freedom Petitions: Queen Anne’s slaves freed themselves from bondage within Maryland’s legal framework.

• U.S. Colored Troops: Slavery transformed in Queen Anne’s County when slaves were presented the opportunity to enlist in the Union army.

U.S. Colored Troops Pension Records

• Of the nearly 210 files, approximately 50 had some known affiliation with the five counties of focus on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.– Photocopied from the National Archives

• Pension records consist of general affidavits, widow’s pensions, death records, and questionnaire’s.

U.S. Colored Troops• The Bureau of Colored Troops established on May 22, 1863

– Separate entity of the War Department

• By September 11, 1863, the War Department Adjutant General’s Office gave permission to Colonel William Birney to begin raising a regiment of Colored troops– To serve three year terms or for the duration of the war

• Regiment became known as the 7th Regiment United States Colored Troops

U.S. Colored Troops

• Act of 1864, Chapter 15, Section 4 - The sum of $100 shall be paid to the owner

• Manumitted Negro paid $50 when mustered in and the same when honorably discharged

• Each volunteer would be credited to the county or city quota

John W. Smith• Born a slave circa 1845

around Centreville

• Owned by John K.B. Emory and Peregrine Wilmer

• Enlisted as a private in Company E of the 19th U.S.C.T.

• 19th regiment mainly composed of men from Southern Maryland and the Eastern Shore.

John W. Smith, Service Record

John W. Smith

• “Whereas my slave John Smith 2nd has enlisted in the service of the United States…in consideration thereof I Pere Wilmer of Queen Anne’s County…do hereby in consideration of said enlistment, manumit, set free, and release the above named John Smith 2nd from all service…his freedom to commence from the 8th Jany 1864. The date of his enlistment as aforesaid

in the 19th Regiment of Colored Troops…”

John W. Smith, Bounty Roll

• Name of soldier, company, regiment, county or city credited, amount paid at enlistment and discharge, slave owner, and amount paid to slave owner.

1890 Law

• The Dependent and Disability Pension Act – Signed into law by President Benjamin Harrison

• The Act also provided pensions for minors, dependent parents, and widows of veterans.

John W. Smith, General Affidavit• Smith states that “one of my

master” told him he was born around 1840.

• According to a Bible, he was born “on March 15th, 1844.”

• He felt it was 1844 because his sister was said to be born around 1840.

John W. Smith, Widow’s Pension

John W. Smith, Marriage Certificate

John W. Smith, Letter in 1891

• “was transferred to the Navy in 1864 and served on Board of the United Steamer Potomsco and discharged in 1865 from the guard ship Princeton at Philadelphia.”

• “I enlisted on 15th Day of May 1875 Co. G. 10th U.S. Cavalry”

• “Discharge on the 14 Day of May 1880.”

John W. Smith, Death Record

Robert Riley• Born a slave around April of 1837

• Owned by Valentine B. Clements– Clements was a farmer around Queenstown

• Clements manumitted Riley– Was not official until September 8, 1864

• Enlisted as a private in Company B of the 7th regiment on September 23, 1863 and mustered in 3 days later

Robert Riley, Manumission

• “Whereas my slave Robert Ryley has enlisted in the service of the United States now in consideration thereof I, V.B. Clements of Queen Anne’s County…in consideration of said enlistment, manumit, set free, and release the above named Robert Ryley…his freedom to commence from the date of his enlistment as aforesaid in the 7th Regiment…”

Robert Riley, Bounty Roll

• Name of soldier, company, regiment, county or city credited, amount paid at enlistment and discharge, slave owner, and amount paid to slave owner.

Robert Riley, 1880 Census

Robert Riley, 1900 Census

Robert Riley, Death Record

Robert Riley – Circa 1880

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